The Birmingham City Difference
So you’re thinking about studying at university? Taking a Higher Education course is a big investment in your future, and you’ll want to be sure that you’re choosing not only the right course, but also the right university.
If you decide to come to Birmingham City University, you can be confident that you’ll receive a first-class education with a focus on practical skills and professional relevance, giving you excellent prospects for employment and career development.
Here are just some of the reasons why choosing Birmingham City University can make a real difference to your future…
Our focus on employability
Whatever subjects you choose, the focus will be on giving you up-to-date knowledge and real-world experience, so that when you complete your course you’ll be ready to launch into your chosen career.
Many of our lecturers have extensive experience in industry and the professions, and maintain close links with these organisations. Some courses offer work placements with leading companies – offering vital opportunities to get your foot in the door. CISCO, Sony, Rolls-Royce and Cartier are just some of the major brands we have links with.
As a result, our students are among the most employable in the UK - 83 per cent of our 2010 graduates gained employment within six months of graduation (Destinations survey 2009/10).
The Sunday Times University Guide 2012 ranked us 29th in the UK out of 123 universities for our success in placing students in graduate employment.
Find out more about our commitment to your employability.
High quality teaching and learning
Many of our courses are accredited by professional bodies such as Ofsted, ACCA, the Skillset Media Academy and others – in all we have links with over 40 such organisations.
Our schools and courses regularly rank highly in national league tables – for example Birmingham School of Media was ranked 5th in the UK by the Guardian University Guide 2011, while Drama was 12th.
A great student experience
In 2010, we received a prestigious Times Higher Education (THE) award for ‘Outstanding Student Support’ for a unique project with our Students’ Union partnering academic staff with students to make recommendations on future teaching.
We’ve invested in Innovative student support, such as groundbreaking mobile learning and teaching research with O2; Virtual Case Creator – a pioneering online simulation tool for Health students; and Shareville – a virtual environment that offers real-world scenarios to enhance student learning.
Setting the research agenda
Much of our research was ranked highly by the prestigious Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 2008, with around one-fifth regarded as ‘world leading’.
We have worked with Birmingham Children’s Hospital to develop low-weight high-tech headgear for surgeons to perform lifesaving operations on babies and small children, with Surestop on revolutionary device to help prevent homes from flooding, and with Rolls-Royce on a £90 million project to improve its advanced engineering systems.
A distinguished past and an exciting future
In various guises, Birmingham City University has been launching careers since 1843. We have a solid, well-established presence in Birmingham, with eight main campuses, several halls of residence and other venues across the city.
We're celebrating our 20th anniversary as a university in 2012 - find out more about the ways modern universities have changed lives.
Although we have a rich heritage, we’ve never rested on our laurels. We’ve constantly invested in improvements to our facilities, ensuring that you benefit from a state-of-the-art learning environment and the latest technologies.
We’re currently investing £180 million in a range of projects, including an exciting new £60 million City Centre Campus, which will provide a new home for our art and design courses.
Find out more about our investment in your future.